


Grave Robbers

by EndlessExplorer



Series: The Adventures of Arthur and Gwen Maxson [1]
Category: Fallout (Video Games), Fallout 4, Fallout: New Vegas
Genre: Anger, Corpse Desecration, F/M, Married Couple, Random Fic Ideas, Revenge, This came to me from nowhere
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-14
Updated: 2018-04-26
Packaged: 2019-03-31 02:22:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,225
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13965303
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EndlessExplorer/pseuds/EndlessExplorer
Summary: After the destruction of Sanctuary, Arthur helps Gwen get revenge against someone who went too far...





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This idea really just came to me from nowhere. I was thinking about characters and games and then this thing slipped out of my brain. This won't be a huge and complicated fic, just hoping to do maybe one or two more chapters. but please leave a message or kudos so I know if people like this idea. I understand that I may also have written Arthur slightly OOC, so If anyone has any pointers or tips, please let me know.
> 
> Anyway, please read, rate, and enjoy!

During Arthur’s various poker games with the other senior officers, Teagan had started proclaiming just how ‘whipped’ Arthur was. Teagan was infamous for his loose tongue considering his superiors, so Arthur never really paid any attention. Teagan’s mocking continued and grew with Teagan barely able to contain himself, talking about how the Elder could only do what Gwen allowed him, or if Arthur would like to be fitted for a comfortable collar. The teasing stopped when Teagan finally got his wish and exchanged spending time in his cage for spending time in isolated lock-up.

Arthur couldn’t listen to Teagan’s senseless mocking because Gwen was his home. His rock, his pillar to lean on and the shoulder to cry on when the stress got too great. Arthur would defend Gwen’s honour just like she would, and has, defended Arthur’s own. It was due to this strong connection that when Arthur received an urgent message from Gwen to come to Sanctuary, that he found himself and at least three senior Paladin’s crammed inside Excalibur and headed for Sanctuary. Gwen was a strong and independent person, but Arthur knew that there was something seriously wrong when she personally sent for Arthur to meet her. Arthur found his palms getting clammy, the closer they got to Sanctuary because Arthur didn’t know what to expect. Would it be good news? Or bad? Arthur shook his head. Obviously, it was bad news, but the real question was… how bad?

Excalibur, Arthur’s personal Vertibird, flew over Sanctuary. Arthur stared out of the co-pilot’s window in shock. The Settlement was destroyed. Blood smeared everywhere like it was done by some sadistic painter. Houses were either burnt or burning, and in the centre of all the carnage, Arthur could make out a silhouette. Arthur knew who it was but found himself incredibly eager for the Lancer to land so that he could go and help Gwen. As soon as Excalibur kissed the crumbling tarmac outside Vault 111, Arthur all but leapt out, breaking into a sprint to reach Gwen sooner. Now that Arthur was standing in Sanctuary, the familiar smells of a battlefield filled his nostrils. Blood, smoke, burnt flesh, rotting offal… they were smells that the young Elder was familiar with, but he always wished he wasn’t. A massive pyre stood in the centre of the neighbourhood and Arthur ran towards Gwen, who knelt before it.

Gwen stood up but before she could turn around, Arthur had wrapped his arms around her, holding Gwen close. No words were exchanged for a while, but Arthur continued to hold Gwen, knowing that she’d talk when she felt like it. The rumbling of several T-60’s got gradually louder before stopping completely. Arthur left go of Gwen and stood back, placing a hand on each shoulder. Arthur gasped suddenly, his face remaining stoic, but his heart was shrouded in worry. Gwen’s beautiful emerald eyes were void of the life and happiness that they usually showed. Gwen seemed almost lifeless, and it broke Arthur’s heart.

  “Gwen! What in the steel happened here?!”

  “They’re all dead… the men, women, and children that lived here. That called this place home… they’re all dead. And that’s not all… the bastards that did all this. They desecrated graves, all of them.” Gwen mumbled. With an iron tight grip, Gwen grabbed Arthur’s hand and pulled him along. Once they circled the pyre, Arthur could see what must have been the old graveyard. It had been done up by the settlers and the skeletons that had littered the streets had been afforded a proper burial. What terrified Arthur the most, was that everybody had been strung up on crosses. Gwen continued and dragged Arthur over to a particular set of gravestones. They were spotless, and freshly painted.

  “ _Here lies Nathaniel Stuart Howard, beloved husband to Guinevere, and their son, Shaun Matthew Howard. May they rest in peace.”_

After the destruction of the Institute, many people wondered what had happened to the remains of the Institute’s Director. Arthur and Gwen were the only people who knew. Despite his harsh words and spiteful comments, when Shaun had died before her, Gwen couldn’t leave her biological son to die there, forever trapped in a concrete tomb. So together, Arthur and Gwen took Shaun’s body out of the Institute and alone, Gwen buried her son and husband together, side-by-side, in Sanctuary. Now, Nate and Shaun lay hung on crosses, stripped of the cloth that Gwen had buried them in, as a sick display for everyone to see. Arthur looked away almost immediately, but Gwen couldn’t. Once upon a time they were her family and now her eyes portrayed a fury so dark and all consuming that Arthur’s worry tripled. Gwen would want revenge against whoever had done this, and Arthur would be there beside her to protect her. From their enemies and from herself. Arthur once again, wrapped his arms around Gwen and she began to cry. In fact, cry would be too gentle a word to use in this circumstance. Gwen shook as the painful memories of her past came through, intensified by the way they had been disturbed and desecrated. Looking over his shoulder at the small platoon that had followed him here, Arthur ordered them to begin cleaning up the chaos, while Arthur stood there, holding Gwen.

Gwen eventually past out due to over exhaustion and stress, so Arthur carried her bridal style to the small commander’s tent that he had set up near the bridge leading out of the neighbourhood. Laying her down on a cot, Arthur began looking over the cleaning effort. Suddenly, a squire ran into the tent and bent over, putting his hands on his knees to catch a breath. Arthur straightened himself and waited for the squire’s report.

  “Elder Maxson sir! I’m afraid that the Paladins over by the bridge have sent me here with some bad news. There is a troop of Minutemen soldiers over by the bridge claiming that the Brotherhood has no permission to be scrapping one of their settlements. They asked to talk to our commanding officer, so I ran here…” The squire quickly said. Arthur popped the top on a can of purified water and handed it to the squire.

  “Here. Drink this and calm yourself down. While I head down to the Bridge, you are to stay here and take care of Sentinel Maxson. If she wakes, you are to send for me immediately. Is that clear?” Arthur explained. The squire saluted and nodded, thanking the Elder for the water.

Arthur left the tent and walked the short distance over to the bridge. Arthur was happy that Gwen had fallen asleep because he knew he barely understood how much pain she was feeling. The last of the fires had only recently been extinguished and the neighbourhood was literally falling apart. Where proud shelters and houses once stood, now lay piles of ashes and embers. A team of Knights were breaking up the ramshackle crosses and Paladins were providing protection. The Scribes and Squires were then responsible for cleaning the mutilated corpses, checking them for any signs as to who had done the crimes, and they were also responsible for their re-burial. The only place that was off limits was Gwen’s old house. Arthur would leave it up to her if she wanted the house swept or if she wanted to do it herself. It was proceeding nice and steady and by his approximations, Arthur figured they’d be done by the following afternoon.

As Arthur got closer to the bridge, he could make out his two Paladins, and the minutemen soldiers that seemed to be very keen on the Brotherhood leaving. Looking at them, Arthur had to say that the minutemen were even younger than he was. Crossing the bridge, Arthur noticed the Paladins straighten almost instinctively and the attention of the minutemen was quickly thrown in Arthur’s direction.

  “And who the heck are you!” A minuteman groaned through his teeth. One Paladin lifted his Rifle in Arthur’s defence, but Arthur urged him to stand down.

  “My name is Arthur Maxson, Elder and Supreme Commander of the Eastern Chapter of the Brotherhood of Steel. Who, may I ask, is asking?” Arthur replied. Arthur knew Gwen would not approve of any violence between either faction, so if he could diffuse the situation with his words, then Arthur would.

  “Sergeant Owen Flynn of the Commonwealth Minutemen. Why is the Brotherhood here? Sanctuary was a Minuteman settlement. The Brotherhood have as much right being here as Deathclaws do!”

  “Well Sergeant Flynn, the brotherhood is here because the Settlement’s Overseer had asked us to come. My Wife, Guinevere Maxson, formerly Guinevere Howard, has supreme authority here, and since she asked me to come here and clean up, that is what we’ve been doing.” Flynn looked at Arthur, confused by his answer. Talking to his fellow Minutemen, Flynn soon returned to Arthur.

  “If you’ll allow us one minute, we’ve to report back to the castle and confirm what you told us.”

  “Take your time, Sergeant Flynn. We’ll stay right where we are until we’re done.” Arthur replied, stepping back. Arthur looked to his left, and then to his right at the Paladins who hadn’t moved an inch since he’d arrived. Arthur chuckled.

  “Paladins, at ease. Stay like that for long enough and we’ll have to bring Knight-Captain Cade down here.” The Paladins slumped a little before thanking Arthur. As Arthur started making mental notes about what he had to get done when he returned to the Prydwen, Sergeant Flynn came over.

  “Alright then Elder, your story checks out, but our General Garvey wants to check out the settlement and talk to Mrs. Maxson. He says that he should be up here by the break of dawn tomorrow. Now my team and I must report back to the Castle, so goodbye.

  Arthur headed back to his command tent and just before he reached the flap, the squire from earlier came running out and slammed into Arthur. Arthur barely moved, but the Squire fell back and looked at Arthur with sheer horror in his eyes. Arthur helped the young Squire up.

  “Take it easy Squire. We were all in your place at one point. Now, is Lady Maxson awake?”

  “Yes, Elder sir! She was asking for you, so I went to get you like you ordered.”

  “Thank you Squire, now go return to your duties.” The squire ran off again and Arthur entered his tent. Over in the corner, Gwen was sitting up on the cot, a can of water in hand and a light blanket over her lap. The fury had gone from her eyes, and despite the small smile on her face, Arthur knew that Gwen was sad. Sitting down on the cot, Arthur placed his hand over Gwen’s and squeezed it gently. Gwen leaned over and gave Arthur a kiss on the cheek before she laid her head down on his shoulder. There were no words between them, but the close contact and gentle squeezes spoke volumes. Suddenly a Scribe came barrelling into the tent, waving a sign made of scrap metal. Arthur stared at the scribe for a minute, angry about the interruption, but quickly calmed.

  “May I ask why we were interrupted?” Arthur asked. Gwen stood up from the cot and took the sign from the Scribe.

  “Elder, Sentinel. We believe this may have something to do with who ever did all this. We’ve sent word to the Prydwen and Proctor Quinlan is currently searching the Archives for any description of the writings.”

  “Thank you, you may return to your duties but as soon as you hear from the Proctor, Report to either the Elder, or myself.”

  “Understood, Lady Maxson.” The scribe replied before he left. Looking down at the sign a second time, Arthur was almost certain that he’d seen that name before. Written across the scrap was a name, written in dried blood.

_“Vulpes Inculta”_

 

 


	2. Investigation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Strike number two gives up a lead...

After Gwen and Arthur returned to the Prydwen, Gwen went delving through the Archives, looking to see if the Brotherhood had any information on a “Vulpes Inculta”. When Gwen had stopped attending their meals, or when she started locking herself away from everyone, Arthur feared for Gwen’s sanity. Arthur was angry over what had happened in Sanctuary Hills, but Gwen was obsessed with finding whoever the hell it was that had done it. This is what now had Arthur standing in the courtyard of the Castle, waiting to see Danse. Thankfully, Danse quickly found time to talk.

  “Hello Arthur! What’s up?”

  “Hello Cedric. I suppose you’ve heard about the Sanctuary Hills Incident?”

  “Yeah. Abysmal, barbaric conduct. Makes me sick to think that someone could do something like that. How’s Gwen?”

  “Yeah… Gwen is the reason I’m here. I need some advice from someone who will give it to me straight.”

Danse suddenly straightened up and seemed concerned.

  “Why? what’s wrong with her?”

  “Well, as you know, this “Vulpes Inculta” might be the mastermind behind all of this. And since she found that out, Gwen hasn’t been eating, or talking, or sleeping. She’s obsessed, and I’m scared for her health.”

  “Wait… Vulpes? Wasn’t he one of those slave runners or something that served under Caesar? If my memory serves me right, Elder McNamara and one of his new Paladin’s fought him in the Mojave? Does Gwen know?”

  “No. No she doesn’t. I asked Quinlan to lock away all references to Caesar and his legion from the Archive.”

  “What! Why the hell would you do that?! Do you not trust Gwen or something? We both know that Gwen can be stubborn when she’s going after something she wants. If she finds out that you know a possible lead and kept it from her… Well I’ll say a prayer for you.”

  “YES, I KNOW! But as I said, I’m scared. You know that both of us can’t leave the commonwealth and I know that if Gwen thinks that this “Vulpes” is in the Mojave, that nothing short of divine intervention will stop her from going there. Gwen would burn down the Mojave on her search and if she died… I’d… I’d…”

 “Yeah Arthur, I know. The thing is, at your wedding, you vowed to be by her side always. That you two would be a team, now it just sounds like your trying to cage her or deny her vengeance. I mean, she saw her child and late husband strung up like sick decorations. If that was me, I’m pretty sure I’d be in the same state that Gwen’s in, and I’d say you’d be worse.”

 “…”

 “I’m sorry Arthur but you know I’m right. You asked for my honest opinion and there it is.”

Suddenly both Danse’s and Arthur’s radios started buzzing at the same time. Arthur and Danse stared at each other, fearing the worst.

“Captain...”

“Elder…”

“It’s happened again!” They cried out in unison.

Arthur was on his way to Croup Manor, a derelict house that Gwen had turned into an orphanage when she was still working with the Minutemen. Arthur knew that it was a project that Gwen was particularly fond of, and if it had gotten hit, that meant that she would be there, and that she’d be even more furious. Arthur could see the rising smoke stack from his Vertibird, Excalibur, and prepared for the worst. As the Vertibird got closer and closer, the smell of burning flesh was ripe in the air. Arthur slammed the side door of Excalibur shut, and tried to calm his stomach. While Arthur had known many battlefields in his relatively short lifetime, burnt flesh and corpses is a remedy of smells that could make even the most weathered veteran give up his lunch. The minute that Excalibur touched down, Arthur climbed off. The Manor was destroyed, but this time, rather than crucifixions, the bodies were still burning in mounds and mass graves. Arthur didn’t need to look for Gwen as he could hear her shouting out orders, and while it was nice to see her outside again, her appearance only fed Arthur’s anxiety. Gwen’s usual brunette curls were tied up in a messy bun and there were dark rings around her eyes. Gwen looked ferocious as well as heavily exhausted. Arthur would have ran up and tried to hug her, but he was almost certain that she’d throw him off her. Gwen didn’t seem to notice his arrival, despite the troop of armoured soldiers that followed him almost anywhere. After Gwen disappeared inside the Manor, Arthur left his protective detail behind and went after her.

Inside, Arthur found Gwen standing over a bunch of reports. Gwen’s features had soured even more, and Arthur didn’t like it.

  “Hello Gwen. It’s nice to see you.”

  “Hi Arthur. I’m sorry about the past two weeks but look at all this! What kind of monster kills kids and burns down orphanages?! I swear that when I get my hands on this “Vulpes”, He’ll regret everything he’s ever done.”

Arthur grabbed Gwen by the arms and turned her around so that she was facing him. Wrapping his arms tightly around her, Arthur wouldn’t let go even though Gwen was trying her best to break free. Gwen tried her best to squirm free, but Arthur wasn’t having any of it. Finally, Gwen relented and began hugging Arthur back.

  “I’m sorry about what happened back in Sanctuary hills, but Gwen, this search is damaging you.”

  “You can fuck right off if you think I’m going to leave this shitstain get away with what he’s done! I will follow this guy to the ends of the earth if I have to.”

  “I know you will and I’m not asking you to let go. All I ask is that you come back to me and leave me help you in your search. You wouldn’t believe how cold the bed gets back on the Prydwen when you’re the only one sleeping in it…”

  “Yeah, I suppose. I…” Gwen couldn’t finish her sentence without her jaw almost dislocating from a yawn.

  “How about you go and take five in Excalibur. I can take over here and inform you later of whatever we find?”

 “That sounds good, I love you, you know that Arthur?”

  “I hear many people love me, but you’re the only one that matters to me Gwen. I love you too.”

  “Keep up that cocky attitude and you’ll still be sleeping on your own after we get this bastard…”

Gwen smiled, and Arthur’s anxiety was finally starting to wither. Gwen was becoming herself again. Suddenly, a Paladin came up to Gwen and Arthur, holding a bloodied raider in his arms. The guy was decked out in many colours and both his legs were broken. The Paladin threw the Raider into a nearby chair and wrapped his hands to the arms of the chair using rope. Turning to Gwen, the Paladin saluted before turning back to the Raider.

  “My lady. We found this scum buried underneath some rubble on the other side of the house. Seems he was buried when they tried to take down the house, and his ‘friends’ left him here to die. Keeps sprouting rubbish about some sort of cleansing, which I’d put down to Chems or something. Ad Victorium.”

The Paladin left, and Gwen turned towards the Raider with a look of disgust. Swinging her arm in a wide arc, Arthur didn’t see the claw hammer slip down her sleeve and Arthur winced when Gwen drove it through the Raiders kneecap. Giving the Raider credit, he barely winced after the first time, but when Gwen brought it back across his jaw, the Raider smiled as he spat out a tooth and blood down onto Gwen’s jumpsuit. Arthur knew that Gwen needed to work out her pent-up anger, so he stood back and allowed Gwen to continue her interrogation. After a few more swings, Arthur was afraid that Gwen would simply use the guy as a punchbag, but Gwen soon flung the hammer onto the floor and started questioning the Raider.

  “Where the hell is your limp-dick leader!?”

  “The hills of cola will run red with your blood when Vulpes Inculta is finished!”

  “I said, WHERE IS HE!”

  “The hills of cola will run red with your blood when Vulpes Inculta is finished!”

After a while, it simply became a back and forth between Gwen and the Raider, with Gwen getting progressively angrier, and the Raider replying with the same line over and over, with the occasional bout of maniacal laughter to make the questioning even more insane. After another few minutes of going nowhere, Gwen pulled out her pistol and put a single bullet between the Raider’s eyes. The force from being so close, caused the Raider’s head to explode and ended up pushing the chair over. Gwen stormed out and Arthur stayed back for a few minutes, knowing that Gwen’s mood was sour. Paladins and Knights stepped out of her way as Gwen marched down the road. Arthur found Gwen a short while later, flicking through her Pip-boy, furiously eating some bubble-gum. Arthur sat down beside Gwen and ran his fingers in small circles at the base of her spine. Gwen slowly allowed her head to rest on Arthur’s shoulder and Arthur continued his actions, knowing it was something that usually calmed Gwen down. Suddenly, Sam leapt up so fast that she barely missed upper cutting Arthur’s jaw. Gwen was smiling from ear-to-ear.

   “Are you alright?”

   “Yeah, I’m fine. What has gotten you so happy?”

   “I’ve figured out where Vulpes is!”

   “What? How?”

   “Listen…”

Gwen started flicking some switches on her Pip-boy and soon a gentle jingle started playing.

   “He’s gone to Nuka-World!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The plan is for three chapters but depending on how the ending turns out, it could be four, or maybe five.
> 
> Please read, rate, and review, or comment. Just please let me know what you all think of my work...


	3. Bringing the Fight!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the next chapter. In a way, it seems that this chapter is mostly in Arthur's POV. No Vulpes yet, but he will be in the next chapter. I've met Vulpes before during my playthroughs of New Vegas, but I always ended up killing him straight away in Novac. I'll try to do him justice in the next chapter, but if I don't feel free to let me know.  
> Anyway please read, rate, and review and like always any commentary is good commentary.  
> -EndlessExplorer

Despite the common idea, Arthur didn’t like war. Arthur would start and finish a war if it meant the betterment of humanity, but the Elder was still very much a pacifist. When Gwen asked him to help her take the fight to Vulpes Inculta, there was no way Arthur could say no, if not to stop Gwen’s lust for revenge from consuming her, then he’d be the shield that protected Gwen while she burned the park down around her. Currently, Arthur was seated in Excalibur, a radio dwarfed in his hands. Gwen had taken a small team earlier to shut down the power and Arthur was getting anxious. Taking a small breath, Arthur thought back to his conversation with Danse. Arthur trusted Gwen more than anything, but it had been more common than Arthur would have liked, but faith had a cruel habit of taking away those close to Arthur. Gwen had trumped Arthur in marksmanship contests and the squires looked up to her like a role model, but at heart Arthur worried and that trait was being made very clear.

   “Any activity on your end Lancer?”

   “No sir. I’m afraid the park is still as well lit as a Christmas tree. It was a lucky lead that Lady Maxson came across with this park. A massive training ground for Raiders, right under our noses and we almost missed it.”

   “I agree. If I know Lady Maxson however, and I’m happy to say I do, there won’t be a dust mite left afterward.”

   “Lady Maxson sure is one impressive woman. Not that I don’t respect you sir! But I’m just speaking my mind…” Arthur laughed, and the Lancer’s shoulders eased.

   “Yes… yes she is…”

Suddenly Arthur’s radio crackled into life and Gwen’s voice came through.

  “Arthur? Arthur? Can you hear me?”

  “Yes. You’re loud and clear. What’s your report?”

  “This ‘Vulpes’ is a disgusting bastard. His men fight each other and hang the losers up on the walls like sick tapestries… and I thought Pickman was bad. Anyway, we’ve secured the power plant and I’m ready to kill the power. I got ‘talking’ to some of our new friends here and they say that their illustrious leader is most likely watching impromptu gladiator fights in his arena on the main island. I’ll meet you at the main gates and we’ll storm the place together…”

   “Alright. Good luck Lady Maxson.”

   “Yeah, you too Elder… and Arthur?”

   “Yeah?”

   “I love you. Thanks for having my back.”

   “I made you a promise to be by your side until the end of our days, and I don’t plan on breaking that now. I love you too. Be careful.”

The radio feed died, and Arthur lifted his head up. The Lancer piloting Excalibur had a shocked look on his face, and Arthur then realised that the whole conversation had been out loud.

  “Damn sir. Mind if I use some of that with my own wife? That was beautiful.”

  “No problem lancer, but if that conversation becomes common knowledge, know that I will have you clean every Vertibird and suit of power armour with a toothbrush.”

  “Don’t worry sir. My lips are sealed.”

Suddenly every light throughout Nuka-World went out.

  “Guess that’s our cue.”

Arthur grabbed the short-range radio off the Excalibur’s flight controls.

  “All teams, you are clear to engage! Once we’ve taken the outside areas, we are to gather outside the central area. Do not engage the central area until then. I repeat, DO NOT ENGAGE!”

Excalibur dived and swept along the ground for a short distance. Excalibur’s mini guns roared into life and sprayed the floor with chunks of lead. Arthur leapt from Excalibur and met up with a group of Paladins while Excalibur and her Lancer acted as a distraction for Arthur and the Paladins to advance. Arthur looked up at the faded sign above his head.

“ _Welcome to Nuka-World’s Safari Adventure!”_

The plan had been for Gwen and her team to advance onto the Galactic zone after they had hit the power plant, while Arthur and his team of Paladins would hit the Safari Adventure and the World of Refreshment. As it had turned out, Gwen had originally planned to go to Nuka-World with Nate and Shaun, so during the briefing, Gwen had been able to supply a map of the park that she had kept as a memento. Arthur could hear the pain in Gwen’s voice as she headed the briefing, but she kept her cool and put together the operation. Five zones, five Strike teams, and then an all-out battle to finish it off. Arthur knew that Gwen would have wanted to be anywhere currently but desecrating her families’ graves had been a thousand steps too far and Gwen wasn’t going to leave until the park was burnt to the ground.

The perimeter guards to the Safari Adventure had been no joke. They fought to their dying breath and then some. Arthur had seen one guard take a shotgun shell to the abdomen and stay fighting. It almost terrified him. Now that they were inside the Safari, the atmosphere seemed too quiet. Very few guards were around, and every bush seemed to have a pair of eyes that were burning a hole into Arthur’s neck. Suddenly a flash of murky green ran by Arthur’s peripherals and threw an armoured Paladin into the air.

  “Deathclaw!” Someone screamed, and the dark night was lit up by laser fire and muzzle flashes. It was then that Arthur noticed something. They weren’t fighting Deathclaws, but rather some other mutant killing machine. A cold feeling ran down Arthur’s spine and he suddenly felt an even stronger urge to kill the creature. Surely, the Enclave weren’t trying to make a comeback…? Making a mental note to talk to Scribe Neriah later, Arthur went to charge the scaled monster, but was thrown back by an explosion. The creature fidgeted for a few seconds before the earlier Paladin had walked over and stomped the creature’s face into a sticky ooze. A Paladin ran over and lifted Arthur up, a look of horror in her eyes.

  “Elder Maxson sir! I… I… I’m so sorry! I didn’t see you running up! Please don’t exile me!”

Arthur dusted himself off and rolled his shoulders. Placing his hand on the Paladins shoulder, he chuckled.

   “Trust me on two things Paladin. One, I’ve gotten more shook walking up in the morning. Two, if I you looked at the number of accidents that I got into, I should have been kicked out. I almost blew up Elder Sarah when I was younger.”

The Paladin threw a shaky hand up to her chest.

  “Thank you Elder.”

   “No thanks required Paladin. You did what was expected of you and that is all I ask. Now come along, we’ve the rest of this ‘Safari’ to clear.”

 ---

Gwen wished that she was pretty much anywhere else right now. Being in a locked room with ‘Vulpes’ would do, but right know she and her team were locked down inside a stall while a firing line of soda dispensers outside were trying to kill them. Sadly, not the weirdest thing that’s happened to her since Gwen left Vault 111.

    “Surely those damn things outside will dry up soon. Also, if we get back alive, remind me never to drink another Nuka-cola EVER. They’ve been knocked outta me, both figuratively and physically”

   “They’ve brewers and mixers built into them. Effectively they’re capable of making their own ammunition.”

  “Great… Survive Mutie encounters, the war with the Institute, and feral nests, only to be killed by soda.”

Gwen drowned out her team as she tried to think of a way out of their mess. Seeing a small glint coming from an overturned trashcan, Gwen stuck her hand into the mound and pulled out a Thirst Zapper. Thankfully it had a full tank and an idea suddenly came to Gwen.

   “Ma’am? What are you going to do with a water pistol?”

Gwen placed a finger up to her lips and slipped out through the fabric. A few seconds followed and then Gwen came back spinning the pistol on her finger. Her team left their shelter and sure enough, the robots were destroyed.

  “A water bottle? Seriously? Damn, I could have just thrown my canteen at them.”

  “Knowing you, you would have done even that simple task, wrong.”

  “What’s with all the hate?”

  Suddenly Gwen turned around and aimed a finger at both her squad mates.

    “Can you two please stop arguing? If you stay focused, you can go and duke it out back at the Prydwen. Just not here!”

Gwen was thankful for the following silence, and soon, they had cleared out the remainder of the Raiders in the Galactic Zone. Just as Gwen was about to leave, she spotted a suit of X-01 Armour standing in a glass case. It looked to be in perfect condition and Gwen wanted it.

   “You’re a beauty. Revenge first and then window shopping.”

 ---

By Morning Gwen, Arthur, and the remainder of their forces were standing outside ‘Nuka-Town, USA’. Arthur, after clearing out the newly dubbed ‘Gatorclaws’ had found an ally in a man named Cito. Cito had also managed to bring help in the form of some ‘Ghoulrillas’, and in a short time, they would charge the last part of the park. Gwen and Arthur were almost starved for each other when they met up again, and paying no mind to anyone else, they shared a kiss in front of everyone.

Now, Arthur was leaning against a wooden post while Gwen went back over the battle plan that she had almost rehearsed line-for-line. Arthur knew that Gwen just wanted to make sure that the plan was fool proof, but he hoped that if they did kill ‘Vulpes’, that it would be enough for her. Arthur wasn’t oblivious. Since the Sanctuary incident, Gwen was more tempered and fidgety than normal. Arthur tried to help her as best he could, but he also knew that without his interference, Gwen wasn’t able to sleep. If serving Vulpes’ head on a platter would help Gwen, then Arthur would just go and get it for her, but this was a personal battle for Gwen and Arthur would do his best to help her through it.

    “You know you look sexy when your planning a death brigade…”

    “I’m sorry… what?”

    “Well you also look sexy spreading some brahmin butter on toast, but that’s beside the point.”

    “Arthur, if this is an attempt to get me to lighten up, I appreciate it. I do, but the bastard that strung my son and Nate up like decorations is inside that compound. He’s so close that I can already feel my hands, around his throat, choking the damn life out of him.”

  Arthur walked up and leaned against the table, beside Gwen. Crossing his arms, Arthur leaned in until he was almost touching Gwen’s face. Arthur could see the panic, as well as the anger in Gwen’s eyes. Kissing her on the forehead, Arthur pressed his head against Gwen.

   “Just know that we will get this bastard, and he will pay for his crimes. Also remember that I’m here if you want to talk. We’re a team, but I need you to talk to me. I’m afraid that this quest will consume you and I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if something happened to you that I could have stopped.”

Gwen sighed and grabbed Arthur by his jacket collar. Pulling him close, Gwen kissed Arthur. Putting as much emotion into the kiss as she could, Gwen tried to shush Arthur’s worries. It was heart-warming to know that Arthur was afraid for her, but Gwen needed to finish this and avenge her late family. When the kiss was broken, both Gwen and Arthur were slightly uneasy on their feet. When they got their balance back, Arthur lightly ran a finger along his lips and stared at Gwen. Gwen winked and smiled back at Arthur.

   “Just know that there’s more of that for afterwards, but that was a gift for helping me and being there for me during all this. I love you more than I can put into words, you know that?”

   “Yeah I know. Just know that my heart belongs to you first and then the Brotherhood, and it will stay that way.”

   “Now how about we go get this bastard, and go home?”

   “After you, Lady Maxson.”


	4. Revenge!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the absense, but the end of first year in college is a doozy.  
> Again, please read, rate, and enjoy!

Gwen loved history back when she was still in school. Gwen loved researching battles and conflicts and in her own mind, she tried to figure out what had driven the involved parties to fight. Were they fighting for sport? Leisure? Or simply to stroke their ego? It always fascinated her, but Gwen never saw herself getting involved in those kinds of battles. That all changed when Gwen was forced to pick up a gun and survive long enough to try and rescue her baby. During that time, she deduced that she was simply doing it to survive, a self-preservation tactic, but in the end, it seemed to be that Gwen was simply a natural. A natural leader, a natural tactician, and a natural marksman.

Looking at the soldiers in front of her, Gwen felt a resounding amount of pride bubble up in her chest. There was an equally large amount of gratitude towards these soldiers and their loyalty towards her and Arthur. In fact, their loyalty towards her still surprised Gwen. Gwen had only been a member of the Brotherhood for a little bit short of three years, and everyone that served with her or under her, treated Gwen with respect and always seemed keen to chat or talk. While Gwen was convinced that her ‘Maxson’ surname granted most of the respect, Arthur had tried his best to prove to Gwen that loyalty within the Brotherhood was gained through actions, rather than marital status.

Then there was Arthur. When Gwen had first met Arthur, their relationship got off on a bad foot and despite the new promotion, Gwen’s loud mouth had gotten her cleaning the mess for three weeks. During that time stuck aboard the Prydwen, Gwen was able to watch Arthur and she came to see the man underneath the battlecoat. After Gwen was returned to active duty, she’d return to the Prydwen to talk to Arthur, sometimes with a recently scavenged bottle of bourbon or whiskey tucked under her arm. Arthur became a close friend and the night before the assault on the Institute, pent-up emotions were left loose, and Gwen and Arthur became a couple. Arthur was never forceful or demanding towards Gwen and allowed her to mourn the loss of her child and late husband in her own time. When Arthur proposed on their second-year anniversary, Gwen had accepted. They were a team, and now they were bonded together.

Gwen was pulled from her nostalgia trip when Arthur walked up holding her revolver and a bag of ammunition. Gwen looked into Arthur’s eyes and she could see something. Motivation, as well as worry. She could see a gun, as well as a shield. Without words Arthur told her that he’d fight by her side, but he also wouldn’t refrain from pulling her from the fire if the situation got too hot. Not caring if anyone saw, Gwen slowly placed a hand on Arthur’s shoulders and kissed him. Arthur’s personality soon made him try to take over, and truth be told Gwen wanted it to go further, but Gwen also knew that she had a mission and she wouldn’t go home without it finished. Vulpes would die today.

   “The sooner we get this finished, the sooner we can get home and relax…”

   “I’d love a hot shower and a shoulder massage…”

   “I had other things in mind…”

   “Trying to entice me to win?”

   “Oh, I know you’re going to win. That was just a friendly reminder of what you can expect to have waiting for you at home. I was thinking of having the Prydwen cleared for the night.”

   “And you don’t think that would raise suspicion?”

   “Believe me, there are a few in the Brotherhood that would offer to set the mood. They’re still on my ass about a potential heir… DON’T think I’m trying to pressure you here, I’m just saying, and I’ve already told them that when we decide on that subject we’d let them know, but to leave us to our own devices for the meantime.”

   “Arthur… you really are my knight in shining armour. Or shining power armour I suppose. Seeing what those squires go through to polish your armour, we should probably thank them.”

   “Yeah I agree. For now, let’s get this bastard.”

Arthur and Gwen led the charge and stormed Nuka-Town USA. Strangely there was no initial force defending the gate, in fact the town almost seemed abandoned. Weapons were trained to fire on anything that so much as moved, but there was nothing and no one around. The Battalion continued inwards. Gwen stared at the desecrated bodies that hung from crosses or from butcher’s hooks and she felt her insides twist. Over time Gwen had gotten used to the level of gore that the Commonwealth offered, but the way that raiders would stream bodies off light fixtures or pin them to walls always unnerved her more than a super mutant’s gore bag.

Suddenly a howl rang off into the cool air and everybody froze. Up on a railing, Gwen spotted someone, perched on all fours. It seemed to observe them with a hint of murderous glee in it’s eyes. Almost like a wild animal would eye its prey. A knight lifted her weapon to shoot the strange creature, but Gwen ordered her to stand down in case the noise attracted something worse. Arthur was pensive about leaving Gwen get close, but they had to know if the creature was in fact a threat or not. Just as Gwen got inside arm’s length, the creature howled again and struck Gwen. Pinning her to the floor and scratching at her face with determination, the creature had caught Gwen off guard. Arthur ran to pull the creature off Gwen when suddenly they were surrounded. Similar creatures were pouring out from the nearby buildings and a fight broke out.

Arthur, in his mission to get to Gwen, found out that a close-range shotgun blast was very effective for quick kills. Once he finally rescued Gwen, Arthur’s trademark battlecoat was covered in blood. Supporting her against him, Arthur pulled Gwen from the heart of the fight and let her rest against a bench. Handing her a stimpak, Arthur fought off anything that came close while Gwen healed up. It had been a while since Arthur was in such a fight and the familiar thump of his heart was ringing in his ears, but Arthur didn’t know if it was because of his worries or the adrenaline pumping through his heart. One of the creatures tackled Arthur and, in his attempt to knock it off him, Arthur never spotted the other creatures until they were too close. As Arthur’s brain played the world in slow motion, his daydream was broken when Gwen stepped back into the fight and fought off their attackers. A point-blank revolver round ended up putting more blood into Arthur’s coat, but he was just happy to have the creature taken off him.

Once the smoke had cleared and the battle ended, Gwen wanted to take a moment and try and figure out what it was that had attacked them. To her fear and disgust, it seemed to be human. Lesions marked their skin and they had bloodied fingers. They were feral ghouls without the radiation. Their teeth sharpened to a point, and their eyes dilated to a point where they almost looked like a ghoul.

  “Ok I’m getting really tired with this bastard. Can we not just roll in Liberty Prime and nuke this place to the ground?”

  “You know we can’t, no matter how badly we want to at times. We have to see this mission through to the end, we promised the people of the Commonwealth that much.”

  “Believe me, as I’ve said I’m gonna finish this, but I just want this to be done. I’m sick of murderous feral humans, Gatorclaws, raiders, and everything else this park seems to want to throw at us…”

   “It will soon be over, now let’s keep going.”

The group continued their way through Nuka-Town. After the last fight, tensions were high, and people were jumpy. As they rounded the corner at the Nuka-Car Arena, they came across two lines of raiders, making what almost seemed like a guard of honour up towards the door. There was a raider standing among them, he seemed different than everyone else. He was an older man, with an eyepatch and he marched down the line of raiders towards the Brotherhood. Gwen levelled her revolver with the raider’s other eye, but he didn’t seem to even flinch.

  “Hey there. Name’s Porter Gage and welcome to Nuka-World. From what we’ve been hearing, you lot have already seen the rest of the park.”

Gwen pulled the hammer on her 45.

  “Nice place, now where is Vulpes?”

  “Who? Oh, you mean the Overboss? He’s just inside in the arena. Sent me out here to grab yea actually.”

   “Well that’s nice. I’ve been meaning to see him.”

Gwen went to walk past Porter, and Arthur went to follow her, but Porter lifted his hand.

  “Only the lady goes in, everybody else stays here. Sorry, Bosses orders.”

Gwen turned back while Arthur stared at Porter with a murderous intent.

   “What?! Do you really expect us to leave one of our own go inside that place on her own?! We’ve seen what you people do to others. Turn them into mindless cannibals… I’m going with her and you can’t stop me!”

Suddenly a cage erected around Arthur and the other soldiers. Gwen ran up to the cage, trying to find a way to bring the cage down. Turning back to Porter, Gwen had pulled out her magnum again. Grabbing the neck of Porter’s top with one hand, Gwen pressed her revolver against his temple with her other hand.

   “Drop. The. Fence. NOW!”

   “Sorry there beautiful. Couldn’t even if I wanted to. Boss gave me the switch to drop the fence, he’s the only one with the key.”

In a grunt of anger, Gwen slammed the stock of her magnum into the side of Porter’s head and threw him on the floor. Finding Arthur amongst the others, Gwen slipped her hands through the poles and rested them on Arthur’s forearms. Arthur’s muscles were tense but softened slightly under Gwen’s gentle hands. Gwen locked eyes with Arthur and squeezed his arm.

   “Just go and get this bastard so that we can go home. That’s an order Sentinel…”

   “No problem Elder…”

With a smirk, Gwen followed Porter inside the Arena. Arthur hated being stuck outside, but he knew he could trust Gwen and her judgement. Now, if this Vulpes did some irreparable harm, there would be no force in this world to stop Arthur avenging Gwen, but Arthur knew it wouldn’t come to that.

The inside of the arena was almost like a slaughterhouse. Bodies hung on the walls like sadistic bunting and the entire room smelt metallic, like blood. Squaring her shoulders, Gwen followed Porter until they reached a metal mesh fence. Spectators were sitting in chairs all around some impromptu battle arena and began to bang against the cages, and scream, and holler.

  “Where is Vulpes?”

  “Sorry…”

  “Wha-?”

Suddenly, Porter pushed Gwen inside the arena and locked the fence before Gwen could recover herself.

   “Get back here you bastard!”

Gwen shouted, but she soon lost Gage in the building crowd. A spotlight turned on and focused on a throne that stood over everyone. It was a throne made from what looked like Gorillas, with a few bloody skulls thrown in for good measure. Slowly, a form began to move into view. A man with a wolf-skin cowl and what looked like roman armour sat down on the throne. A pair of lifeless eyes peered at Gwen from underneath the cowl and in the new light, Gwen could make out a metallic left arm.

   “Welcome to my park. My name is Vulpes Inculta.”

   “Fuck you!”

   “Now is that anyway to talk to your host? Your superior?”

   “When I get my hands on you, I swear I will pull you apart atom by atom. I’ll make it slow and painful.”

   “Such anger. Shouldn’t a leader be capable of showing restraint?”

   “That’s rich coming from the guy that uses heads as light fittings. Now how about you come down here and fight me!”

   “I don’t kill in anger. I kill to curb humanity of it’s weakest links. By the teachings of Caesar, I’m making this world better. And if I must enslave humanity to do it, then so be it.”

   “I said come down here and fight!”

   “No, I don’t think I will. I’ll give the recruits here a chance to test their mettle. But first we’ll have a test of strength, before I give you the honour of fighting my men.”

Vulpes hit a button on the armrest of his chair. The lights died, and in opposite corners, two cages came up through the floor. Two irradiated Gatorclaws, that looked buffer and angrier than any Deathclaw that Gwen had ever come across.

   “These two have been on a strict diet of Med-X and Buffout. I do believe they will be an adequate test to prove your strength. Now begin.”

The cages lurched open and both Gatorclaws stared at Gwen with murderous intent. Both Gatorclaws charged at once and Gwen dived underneath both swinging claws. The Gatorclaws hit each other in the face and as they were temporarily distracted, Gwen shot them both with her pistol. This only seemed to fuel their anger and Gwen had to constantly dodge swinging claws. Trying to think of a way to kill them, Gwen came up with a plan. Something that Gwen had been saving for a rainy day, and today seemed quite rainy. Gwen just had to find an opening but the earlier fight and her current one was starting to take its toll on her and Gwen was feeling exhausted. Sadly, it was too much for her and in the short time that Gwen stopped to take a breath, one Gatorclaw grabbed her and threw her at the fence. Gwen’s left arm had gotten pinned behind her back and had been broken. The Gatorclaws seemed to saunter towards Gwen, almost like they were savouring their victory. Gwen pulled her ‘plan’ out of her pocket, a Nuka-grenade and threw it towards the Gatorclaws. Like Dogmeat would catch a bone, these two Gatorclaws went after the grenade and Gwen rolled over to avoid any shrapnel. A massive explosion followed by two thuds rang out across the arena.

Up on his throne, Vulpes clapped slowly. Gwen pulled herself up off the floor using her one good hand and stared at Vulpes with an intense fury.

   “Gage! Take her out and put her with the rest of the prisoners. Her second trial will begin in the morning.”

   “Wait what second trial?”

   “You have to prove that you are good enough to fight me. Your second trial starts tomorrow. Now leave me.”

Porter went to put his hand on Gwen’s shoulder, but she spat blood in his face and stormed out. Porter sighed and wiped it off as much as he could.


End file.
